Sanitary bed



Feb. 16, 1960 F. w. KNOWLES SANITARY BED Filed Jan. :51; 1957 lOa.

2TTORNEY I v 2,924,832 SANITARY BED Frederick W. Knowles, Geebung, Queensland, Australia Application January 31, 1957, Serial No. 637,439 Claims priority, application Great Britain May 29, 1956 3 Claims. (Cl. -90) This invention relates to a bed designed primarily to accommodate infants, though it may be employed for the benefit of other living beings.

In the past, beds for infants have commonly incorporated a mattress, and a rubber or other waterproof sheet to protect the mattress from urine and faeces. As direct contact of the infants skin with the said waterproof sheet is exceedingly uncomfortable, the waterproof sheet is normally covered with a cotton sheet or the like. To protect the latter to some extent, it is customary to wrap the lower trunk and thighs of the infant in towels, cloths or other soft materials, generally known as diapers or napkins, which conceal the excretory products from view. However, infants thus wrapped spend a large portion of their early life lying in urine and faeces, the discomfort of which causes them much discontent.

According to the present invention there is provided asanitary bed comprising a net or gauze or perforated sheet of flexible non-metallic water-repelling material, and means for supporting said net, gauze or perforated sheet so that it may be lain on.

The invention also provides a sanitary bed comprising a rigid framework, a net, gauze or sheet of flexible nonmetallic water-repelling material extending across said framework and supported thereby, and means for supporting said framework so that said net, gauze or sheet may be lain on.

The invention further provides a sanitary bed comprising a rigid open-toppedmember having closed sides, means for supporting a net, gauze or sheet of flexible non-metallic water-repelling material across the open top of said member and a receptacle located beneath said net, gauze or sheet to receive liquid draining therethrough.

One construction of sanitary bed for use by infants, and in accordance with the present invention, will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bed showing the top frame removed and lying on one side of the base of the bed, and

Figure 2 is a partial fragmentary elevation of the bed, whilst Figure 3 is an underneath view of the top frame only.

In this construction the bed comprises a base in the form of an open-topped box for example of wood, which is provided with a rim 10a just below its top edge. In use a frame 11 supporting a net, gauze or sheet 12 of flexible non-metallic material fits on the top of the box 10. The internal dimensions of the frame 11, which may also be of wood, are such that it is an easy fit over the top of the box 10 and rests on the upper surface of the rim 10a. As shown in Figure 2 the net or the like 12 is secured across the frame 11 by having its periphery clamped to the outer edge of the frame 11 by strips 13 which are detachably secured to the frame 11, for example by wood screws 14. A slot 13a is provided along the inner surface of each strip 13 so that prior Patented Feb. '16, 1960 ice;

to the securing of the strips 13 the net or the like 12 may be secured in the frame 11 by pins which are accommodated within the slots 13a when the strips 13 are fitted.

The net, gauze or sheet 12'on which the infant lies is of water repelling material. It may, for example, be a net, gauze or sheet made of synthetic fibres which to some extent at least are inherently water-repelling, or it may be a net, gauze or sheet made from natural animal or vegetable fibres chemically treated to make it waterrepellant. Nylon is an example of the first class of material, whilst cotton treated with a silicone or by the VELAN P.F. treatment of Imperial Chemical Industries is an example of the second class. If desirable, the

synthetic material may be treated in similar manner to the natural material to increaseits inherent waterrepellant properties. There are also available waterrepelling solid plastic sheet materials which are alleged to be micro-porous and permeable to water vapour, and clearly such materials are useful for the purposes of the present invention, if provided with holes through which urine can flow.

The lower half of the infants body is unclothed and the infant lies directly on the net or the like 12. A tray 15, for example of stainless steel, is located in the box 10 underneath the net or the like 12 to receive urine. To accelerate drainage into the tray 15 and consequent drying of the net or the like 12 a number of wicks or threads 16 of cotton or other hygroscopic material are means, at the lower end of each wick 16 ensures that the' wick is directed downwards. Drainage in this manner is apparently facilitated by the fact that water appears to be drawn from the water-repellant-and thus less hygroscopionet or the like 12 to the more hygroscopic wicks.

If a closely woven sheet or a solid micro-porous plastic sheet is used for the member 12, I prefer to form a number of holes near the middle of the sheet through which urine can flow. If these holes are sufficiently large single drops will not rest on the holes, and to this end I have found that holes of of an inch diameter are'satisfactory.

" A hinged door 18 is provided in the side of-the bo'x- 10 through which the tray 15 can be withdrawn for emptying. Alternatively the tray may be incorporated in a drawer (not shown) which can fit in one side of the box 10 and be readily withdrawn therefrom for emptying. Electric or other heating means may be provided in the interior of the box. Thus, as shown in Figure 1 electric tubular heaters 19, 19 may be fitted along each side of the box 10, these heaters 19, 19 being connected by electric leads 20, 20 to a socket 21 by which the heaters 19, 19 can be connected from outside the box 10 to an external power supply. Such heating means should be suitably guarded to prevent the infant from coming into close contact with the heater. A thermostat (not shown) may be provided to maintain the temperature at a desired level. Whilst a half-sheet may be provided under head and shoulders to reduce heat loss due to warm air escaping through the net or the like 12 I prefer to provide a flexible waterproof sheet, for example, of polyvinyl chloride, underneath the net in the area of the head and shoulders. This waterproof sheet may be mounted in the frame in a similar manner to the net or the like 12 but slung loosely under the net to allow some circulation of air through the net in this region. Salivation and the like will drain from this waterproof sheet into the tray 15. A similar waterproof sheet may be applied with advantage underneath the opposite end of the net or the like 12. Alternatively a flexible waterproof sheet or sheets 22 may be provided under the whole net or the like 12, except in an area above the tray 15, as shown in Figure 3. When waterproof sheets are provided in this manner anolder infant who moves about on thenet or the like 12 may urinate anywhere on, the sheets but the urine will still run into the tray 15.

A top or oversheet (not shown) may be provided which. is rendered water-repelling, for example by processing of one of the kinds referred to above. Alternatively the oversheet. may have secured to its undersurface a piece of plastic and preferably microporous sheet, for example of polyvinyl chloride, which preferablyhas a. finely ribbed or wrinkled surface to avoid any discomfort on contact with the skin, as might be experienced with a plane. surface. To hold the top sheet in position, it may be secured in a readily detachable manner to the outside of the frame, for example turn-buttons may be used for this purpose.

It will be clear that many modifications may be made to the above described construction. Thus, wheels or casters may be provided on the box to facilitate movement, or the frame carrying the net may be arranged to fit in a pram body with the tray located on the floor of the pram, under the net. The term bed as used herein is intended to embrace use of the arrangement in a pram. Moreover, in place of the closed box the net frame may simply be mounted on legs or suspended in any suitable way, for example in the framework of an existing cot whereit will replace thev normal mattress support. When necessary guards, rails or the like may be provided for preventing the infant from falling out.

The bed may also be completely housed in an airconditioned box or chamber, various types of which are already in use. The bed of the present invention would replace the mattress or the like used at present in such air-conditioned boxes or chambers, and a receptacle. would the edges of said net being secured to said frame so that said net extends continuously over the entire opening in said frame, a liquid receiving receptacle in said box, a plurality of wicks of hygroscopic material depending from said net above said receptacle, a plurality of weights, each weight being; suspended on one of said wicks respectively, a flexible waterproof sheet, said waterproof sheet being mounted under said net in an area other than that from which said wicks depend, and heating means mounted in said box.

2. In a sanitary bed, an open-topped box, a net, means securing said net across the open top of said box, a liquid receiving, receptacle positioned in said, box beneath said net, a plurality of wicks of hygroscopic material depending from said net above said receptacle, a plurality of weights, each weight being suspended on one of said wicks, respectively.

3. A sanitary bed according to claim 2 and heating means mounted in said box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 43,141 Thompson June 14, 1864 335,097 Swift Jan. 26, 1886 467,575 Force Jan. 26, 1892 630,111 Roels Aug. 1, 1899 826,978 Whittington July 24, 1906 836,175 Bess Nov. 20, 1906 848,032 Herman Mar. 26, 1907 879,335 Southmayd Feb. 18, 1908 976,992 Efrantin Nov. 29, 1910 1,125,425 Willis Jan. 19, 1915 1 ,192,647 Kuhn July 25, 1916 1,302,915 Gossard May 6, 1919 1,394,578 Purcell Oct. 25, 1921 1,736,341 Eiser Nov. 19, 1929 1,890,163 Rose Dec. 6, 1932 2,144,329 Conlon Jan. 17, 1939 2,457,851 Taft Jan. 4, 1949 2,559,654 Netteland July 10, 1951 2 ,688,959 Emerson Sept. 14, 1954 2,761,152 Pirone Sept. 4, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,902 Great Britain 1908 16,117 France Sept. 5, 1912 (Addition to 437,669) 

